Beryl E. Bean #1
Ricki Stern
Beryl E. Bean #1
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Mighty Adventurer of the Planet
by Ricki Stern
Illustrated by Amy June Bates
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
What if a broken arm could lead you to your greatest adventure yet? Imagine trading soccer games for dinosaur hunts in a museum full of secrets. Beryl’s about to discover that being a Mighty Adventurer means more than she ever expected.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This middle-grade chapter book follows Beryl, a girl sidelined from soccer by a broken arm, who finds friendship and excitement through a new role as a Mighty Adventurer. With lighthearted humor and themes of friendship and social growth, it offers engaging content suitable for ages 9-12. The story includes positive messages about resilience and exploring new interests, complemented by full-color illustrations.
Why we rated Beryl E. Bean #1 9C
Beryl E. Bean #1 is written at a Level 4-5 reading level. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Beryl E. Bean #1 works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Beryl E. Bean #1 as 9C ("Clear") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Beryl E. Bean #1 explores friendship, humor, adventure, and social issues - friendship — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, humor, adventure.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9C — ClearNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
- ISBN
- 9780613940610
- Publisher
- Tandem Library
- Published
- June 2002
- Type
- Fiction